It's been five years, and everything was different now, but would it be for long?

The old group had dissipated, most of them moving to the US to pursue different careers. The only ones that had stayed in Japan were Yugi, Ryou, and the Kaibas. Malik had moved to Japan about 3 years ago as well, sharing an apartment with Ryou. Everyone else had gone their separate ways after high school. It was crazy. Whatever happened to their "friendship bond"?

Yugi owned the game shop now, it being the most popular game shop in all of Asia. People traveled from all over the world to challenge him, but Yugi hadn't lost a duel in the five years he'd been separated from Yami. But he had to admit, he definitely missed his best friend. He didn't get out much, being busy with the shop or tournaments, but sometimes Ryou and Malik would come visit. Seto was busy with his company the majority of the time, but Mokuba would stop by sometimes. It was a lonely life.

Ryou and Malik were the best of friends now. They had gone through a lot of the same abuse and torment so they ended up bonding through their new found freedom. They both enjoyed the same tv shows and they got a job at the same place (ironically, Kaiba Corp). They spent all of their time together, but there was a reason for that.

Both of them were still terrified of their "darker halves". They slept in the same room so that one could comfort the other in case of bad dreams. They never turned the lights off all the way, being scared of the dark. Or more specifically, the Shadow Realm. The two were inseparable because they were still scared of running into their other sides alone. They couldn't bare that.

But they hadn't come back, and it's been five years. Surely they were gone for good this time.

Right?